When they announced their split in 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin broke the internet by coining the phrase "conscious uncoupling" to describe their separation. "We have come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much we will remain separate," the exes shared in a statement at the time. "We are, however, and always will be a family, and in many ways we are closer than we have ever been." Now, nearly 10 years later, it seems that their unorthodox approach to breaking up has worked out well for them. In a recent talk, Paltrow explained that she sees the Coldplay frontman as a sibling now.
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Per The Hollywood Reporter, Paltrow gave an update on her relationship with Martin during a Q&A with guests at her recent In Goop Health wellness summit. The former couple were married for over 10 years, from 2003 to 2014, and welcomed two children together: Apple Martin, 19, and Moses Martin, 17.
Recalling a trip that she and Martin took to look at colleges with Moses, the Shakespeare in Love star said, "I’m still very close with my ex-husband. We’ve sort of morphed it into a true family. I know it sounds really weird to say, but he’s kind of like my brother now."
Paltrow also explained that this didn't happen by accident. "[I]t’s hard for people to understand, but I did really make a commitment that he would stay my family, and I think we suffer a lot less because of that," the 51-year-old continued. "I think it’s incredibly painful for a woman, when you’ve co-mingled your DNA with a man, if you have no contact and acrimony and nothing between you. So if you’re able to, transmogrify that into a different type of relationship and family. That’s what we’ve been able to do, thank goodness."
During an appearance on the podcast Armchair Expert in 2019, Paltrow said that her priority during her divorce from Martin was to make it as smooth as possible for their children.
"The most common wound that I heard from children of divorce was, 'My parents couldn't be in the same room and couldn't be friends. It took three years, it took 18 years, it took—God forbid—the death of a close family member for them to sit at the same table,'" the Avengers actor explained. "I just thought, 'I wonder if there's a way to circumvent that and go directly to the point where we're friends and we remember what we loved about each other, and constantly acknowledge that we created these incredible human beings together… We're a family, that's it. We can pretend we're not, and hate each other … or, [we can] try to reinvent this for ourselves."
Both Paltrow and Martin have moved on to new relationships in the years since their divorce. Paltrow married television producer Brad Falchuk in 2018, and Martin has been in a relationship with actor Dakota Johnson since 2017.
Even the new couples have become close. Paltrow shared on Live with Kelly and Ryan that when she went on her honeymoon after marrying Falchuk, it was a family affair with her children and Martin on the trip, as well as Falchuk's kids, and other family friends. And there's certainly no drama between Johnson and Paltrow. As reported by People, during a Q&A with fans on Instagram in October, Paltrow said of Lost Daughter star, "We’re actually very good friends. I love her so much ... She’s an adorable, wonderful person."
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